Educational Programs

East Allen County Schools takes prides it knowing it delivers a high quality educational program to its students and has been recognized for it. EACS earned the "A" district rating from the Indiana State Board of Education. EACS has individual schools that have been recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education. EACS has schools that have earned the distinction of being 4-Star Schools from the Indiana Department of Education. EACS has an experienced and dedicated staff that are committed to our students. EACS is committed to the safety of our students and utilizes the A.L.I.C.E. safety protocol to provide students and staff with options to enhance their change of survival in case of an attack. EACS has an apprenticeship program with the local Associated Builders and Contractors chapter so EACS students can learn and be an apprentice in a skilled labor trade. EACS home written curriculum meets state standards and is sought out by other school districts. EACS instruction is data driven which utilizes the 8-Step Instructional Process and"War Rooms" to analyze and improve student achievements. Provided below are responses to questions/comments from the Community Meetings:

How do we make sure we have high quality teachers?Our teachers are highly qualified and evaluated annually. Individual concerns should be expressed to the teacher or the school administration.

How do we address the human capital component of education? All of Indiana is struggling w/teacher shortages? What is EACS doing to confront the issue of need of human capital? How do you attract teachers to a Title I Building?We attend job fairs in the spring and try to hire in May and June when there are still ample candidates. We do experience problems in finding candidates licensed in high demand/low supply subjects. We also struggle when employees resign right before the start of the school year. We advertise state-wide and hire those who have a passion for working in a Title I School and we currently provide additional compensation after the teacher has completed so many years at a Title I School.

Could internship programs grow in order to help make education, and EACS more competitive?We currently offer internships to our students and continue to explore opportunities to increase the number and types of internships offered.

What are the long term plans for the Paul Harding High School [PHHS] attendance area? How can we bring our community together without a full service K-12 community school? It looks like you just want to demolish Harding, because you're not helping it. Tight on classrooms at PHJH/EAU. Why would Paul Harding Junior High School students stay there and have one independent 7th & 8th grade? Concerned about property value in Harding area. Not a full service high school in this community. Not transporting our 7-12 students to their schools. Feeling like it’s a failing community. Would like it to become its own separate entity.The plan is to continue the current configuration. We offer schools that serve the educational needs of students in grades k-12 in all of our attendance areas. There are no plans to demolish Harding. There are plans to increase classroom space at PHJH/EAU. The current configuration of Paul Harding Junior High is successful and is making academic gains. Also, the EAU students serve as great role models to the younger students. Administration believes the current model is working well and serving the educational needs of the community.

Why does Southwick Elementary not have media center?Southwick Elementary School has a media center.A lot of things for other schools are for sports and music. We don’t have that at EAU but we are special so we deserve to have something special for us. What are the plans for EAU?The vision is to address the needs at all schools including EAU.

Some classes are greater than 30.Classroom size is monitored and adjusted depending on the subject.

To what extent has EACS School Board talked with New Haven Community or New Haven Park Board to combine resources. Will there be a duplication of Park & school resources – will that affect referendum?TThere is communication and collaboration between the Board and the NH Park Board. It is not the intent of the district's vision to duplicate resources for the Parks Department.

What are advantages to building on South side of 930?The New Haven High School building on the south side of SR 930 can be updated and remodeled without having to build new at less cost than a new building.

EACS has lost students to other EACS schools because of perception.We gained 400 students this year. Most came from area schools.

Space is currently wasted.Architects will advise us on the best use of space.

Will the Plan allow for FACS classes again?Course offerings are based on schedule requests from students. The principal takes the information available and plans the schedule.

Why has the philosophy changed to having 7-12 building? What is wrong with same?Having 7th -12th grade configurations in our buildings has created the opportunity for 7th and 8th grade students to have access to upper level classes. All sixth grade classes across the district are self-contained, therefore moving the New Haven sixth grade back to an elementary building places them in a building with other self-contained classrooms.

Is trigonometry offered at the middle school? No. Typically, advanced eighth grade students take geometry which is two courses beyond the eighth grade year. It is difficult for a NHMS student to take geometry due to the logistics of traveling to NHHS and working out the schedule differences between the two buildings. Our other 7-12 buildings can easily place an eighth grade student into a geometry class because it is in their own building and they are on the same schedule.

At New Haven High School, why do they need more classroom space? And what classes will be taught?Space needs to be added at New Haven High School to accommodate the additional two grades (7th & 8th) that will be added.

Why did you decide to use the Intermediate school as the new career center?The building is in good repair and a one story building with ample space is ideal.

Is NHEL designed for administrative work?It can be reconfigured into office spaces. Many districts re-purpose former school buildings into administrative offices. This consolidation of administrative offices at one location makes the district more efficient and effective.

What about academics? New Haven High School drives the economy of this community. How will this project improve vocational opportunity for New Haven High School?This project will create a vocational school in the former New Haven Intermediate School which will expand vocational offerings available to all EACS students.

Will this improve dual credit & careers preparation opportunity for New Haven students?Yes. Additional dual credit can be offered due to expanded vocational offerings.

Do we only have to let people in within the district or outside the district? Can some overcrowding be controlled by turning away students out of district?Students within the district have the opportunity to apply for choice transfer. Students outside of the district may apply for transfer tuition. The Board has the power to allow or not allow either of these practices. Currently, our policy allows both. Denying transfer tuition would reduce our current student population by 400 students and would alleviate overcrowding at Cedarville Elementary. Our other buildings have the capacity to house their transfer tuition students.

At Leo Jr./Sr. High School we need more classroom space, we have 37 in a Math class and the Math class is in an old Science classroom to accommodate.There are available rooms in the building. Please share your concern with the building administration. Additional classrooms at Leo Jr/Sr HS are not currently included in the proposed vision.

Prettiness isn’t as important as the academics & support teachers & staff have given our students so let’s not forget the importance of people.Our belief has been that human capital is a strength for EACS.

Why not build a K-6 building for New Haven?If our architects propose that concept as a viable option it will be considered. The New Haven Primary School is in good repair and houses PK-2.

We currently use Anthis Career Center, will we still use it or will we have our own career center? How does the new career center effect our relationship with FW Anthis Career center? Will there be transportation for our students to new career center?We currently have 50 spots available to EACS at Anthis and will probably still send students for programs not offered at EACS. The new career center may decrease the number of students (50) we currently send to Anthis. Transportation has not been determined, but we currently do not provide transportation to Anthis or the ABC program on Meyer Road.

Do we need a new administration building?Not a new one, but when the former New Haven Elementary is vacant, it makes sense to put the entire central office under one roof to increase efficiency. Having the central office staff split between two buildings on opposite sides of a highway is not efficient.

Why couldn’t old Woodlan Primary be used as a career center? It has a cafeteria already in good condition.Woodlan Primary is already in the process of being sold. It is also not centrally located.

We need “cuts on the hill.” Salaries are too high.Thank you for your comment, but salary cuts are not part of a building project proposal.

Woodlan Elementary needs their own cafeteria. Families were told elementary students would be separated from high school and students have to walk too far. K takes 7 minutes to walk to cafeteria.The decision was not to duplicate kitchen services when the project was originally approved and designed.

Young people don’t vote – education about electoral process – seniors should be involved in a program like tonightEveryone was invited. Students were not discouraged from attending and we did have a student attend the Leo meeting.

Aging equipment and aging uniforms of the Woodlan band needs to be addressed. Saxophone, marimba, xylophone. Uniforms are falling apart (purchased in mid 90’s).Please talk to our building principal about possible funding sources for new equipment and repairs.

Why does every superintendent leave a legacy wanting bigger and better buildings, instead of using existing buildings?The intention of the project is to address needs in the district which address student-based improvements.

How can we trust the stewardship of the money when things aren't set in black and white? There is a model classroom sitting at Park Hill that zero kids are in.A model classroom does exist at Park Hill and is used for staff training on the average of 4 out of 5 days a week. The technology available in this room, along with the room configuration, are both assets of this room as a training facility. Administrators and instructional coaches who are trained in this room get to experience how this model could be utilized in their buildings. Instruction in this room is modeled for our staff, hence the reference to “model classroom.”

Money in athletics mentioned but none for the arts: what about new sound systems?New sound systems that are not addressed in this project may be pursued by the building administration each year during their capital project requests.